"This is about more than a spouse who wants to get into a club," says UCLA Law School's Aaron Belkin, who helped write the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

"This is about the Defense of Marriage Act and all the inequalities that come with it. It's about asking the question: Is the military really going to be serious about giving fair and equal treatment?"

Some of the other federal benefits that are available to married heterosexual couples but are denied to same-sex spouses include insurance and survivor's benefits. Straight spouses are able to file joint tax returns.

The U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments about the constitutionality of DOMA in March.

A spouse is a spouse

That offers little comfort to Broadway and her supporters, such as Bianca Strzalkowski, the 2011 Military Spouse of the Year. Hundreds of thousands of military members voted to give Strzalkowski that title, singling her out for her community service, patriotism and time spent helping military families. She lives in North Carolina but has no affiliation with the spouse club that rejected Broadway.

"It really makes me ill to think this is happening at Fort Bragg," she told CNN. "It's discrimination, plain and simple."

Strzalkowski is also the deputy membership director of Blue Star Families -- the largest military family support organization in the nation. A Blue Star column recently lambasted the spouse club for rejecting Broadway.

"Who would have thought a group whose sole existence is to help other military spouses and families would deny one of their own?..." military wife Molly Blake wrote. "Ashley Broadway -- I don't care if you are gay. I care that you are a dedicated military spouse who supports your soldier. I care that you want to be an example to other spouses and volunteer your time for the benefit of others.

"I care that you are willing to set up chairs and tables for fundraisers, bring new and innovative ways to raise money for our neediest military families, collate bid sheets, make brownies and raise your hand when the president needs a volunteer."

Strzalkowski's Marine husband is preparing to ship out on his fifth deployment, this time to Afghanistan.

"We've gone through 11 years of war, and we need to be supporting each other -- not treating each other like this," she said. "I don't feel that this club at Fort Bragg represents who we are as spouses."

No help from Bragg brass

CNN's many attempts to get the club's side of the story have been unsuccessful. Two women who confirmed that they belonged to the club chose not to comment.

A December 12 letter on the club's home page reads: "In response to recent interest in the membership requirements of our organization we will review the issue at our next board meeting." The letter doesn't indicate when the meeting will be.

In the wake of the controversy, the group's website has password protected all its links. "They've locked themselves off to the world!" says Strzalkowski. "No one should be that high up on their pedestal."

Bragg brass says their power is limited. That's because, according to Fort Bragg Garrison Commander Col. Jeffrey Sanborn, the club is a private group, not a military one. Sanborn declined an interview with CNN, but he e-mailed statements saying he explained that in person to Broadway and her wife.

Officially, Sanborn has the power only to ensure "all private organizations operating on Fort Bragg comply with Department of Defense and Army regulations and with U.S. laws."

And the spouse club's bylaws, constitution and conduct do comply with DOD regulations.

"C'mon, really? That's a little disingenuous," said UCLA's Belkin. "When you're the commander at Fort Bragg, you are close to having godlike status in your community."

Sanborn could deny the club access to the base, Belkin said.

"He could tell service members not to participate. There are a lot of ways to send a signal that you disapprove."

At home this week, Broadway and Mack are busy around the house. Mack is days away from giving birth. Broadway talks as she heads home from a visit to the doctor.

After all this, does Broadway still want to be part of the Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses?

"Honestly, I'm torn," she said. "Each day that goes by, they are saying they don't want me. I check my spam folder every day to make sure I haven't missed a message from them.